


You're Not Alone Anymore

by RinChanSanMatsuoka



Series: Makorin Week 2015 [4]
Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, MakoRin Week, MakoRin Week 2015, Pining, implied mutual pining, set during season 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 09:24:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5451653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RinChanSanMatsuoka/pseuds/RinChanSanMatsuoka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makorin week day 4<br/>Prompts: Fears</p><p>Continuation of <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/5445185">day 3's</a> fic.  Rin returns from Australia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're Not Alone Anymore

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the continuation of Like a Shoujo Manga!

Rin didn’t keep his promise.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true.  He had kept his promise at first and Makoto would eagerly await his letters, running to mailbox every day to check, even though his mother told him that the mail wasn’t that fast.

However, as the months passed by, Rin’s letters grew shorter and shorter.  He said he was training a lot and while Makoto believed him, he could sense a change in the tone of Rin’s writing.  Rin didn’t seem happy and that scared Makoto.  He wanted so badly to help his friend – boyfriend?  Could they honestly call themselves that at twelve? – but he was an entire ocean away.

Eventually the letters stopped completely.  Makoto kept waiting for them, hoping that maybe another letter would appear.  He considered sending Rin another one but Haru told him not to bother.  His best friend’s behavior was strange and when he’d asked Haru what had happened, the other boy refused to speak.

So, Makoto’s life went on for four years without Rin.  All of junior high passed by, along with the first year of high school.  While he was happy and content with just Haru, part of him never stopped missing Rin.

His second year of high school had started like all the other school years.  Makoto pulled Haru out of the tub, walked to school with him, was happy that they were in the same class once again.  Seeing Nagisa again was an added bonus, even if his old friend was suggesting breaking and entering into the old swim club.

The idea of digging up the time capsule without Rin gave Makoto pause. Could they really do something like that without their friend?  He frowned in thought as he followed Haru and Nagisa through the building.  It didn’t seem right.  They should wait until Rin was back in Japan.  But none of them even knew if Rin would ever be coming home.

None of them were expecting Rin to actually be at the old swim club.  Makoto felt his heart shatter as his old friend completely ignored him in favor of challenging Haru to a race.  He and Nagisa had only barely been able to stop the two from jumping into the empty pool and still Rin ignored him.  Without even a glance in Makoto’s direction, Rin dropped their trophy and left.

After that night, Makoto did everything he could to try to find Rin.  He searched the lockers at school, hoping to find that Rin was back with them, instead finding Rin’s younger sister Gou.  He had begged her for Rin's phone number, though he didn't know if he would ever use it.

Eventually, he agreed to Nagisa’s plan to break into Samezuka Academy but even then, Rin had only glared at them and ignored everyone that wasn’t Haru.

Something had happened to Rin and it hurt Makoto to know that he had no idea how he could help.  After meeting with his old coach from the swim club, he learned about the race Rin and Haru had had as children.  He had called Rin as soon as he knew, telling them about his plans to start a swim club.  Over his voice message, he told Rin that he could join his school’s team, so they could all swim together again.  A part of him hoped that if they managed to swim together, maybe that could help Rin.

But as the year went on, Rin only seemed to get worse every time Makoto saw him.  Everything exploded at regionals, with Rin running off after proclaiming that he was going to quit for good.  Makoto had searched for Rin along with the rest of his team, hoping that Rei’s plan would work.

And it did work.  They had won the relay and there was a smile on Rin’s face again.  A real, genuine smile that Makoto hadn’t seen since Rin’s departure.  Makoto knew he would be eternally grateful to Rei for finding a way to save Rin.

* * *

“Rin?”

“Don’t look so surprised…  I’m the one that called you out here,” Rin said, frowning slightly as he sat down on the opposite end of the bench.

“I… This is silly, but I thought maybe it was a dream, given everything that’s happened.”  Laughing weakly, Makoto stole a quick glance at Rin before looking back out at the park they were in.  It was the closest one to Samezuka Academy and even though it was quite a ways from Makoto’s home, he had instantly agreed to meet Rin there.  The redhead’s phone call had been unexpected but Makoto had jumped at the opportunity to see his old friend.

“I’m sorry.”  Rin’s voice was quiet and when Makoto looked at him again, he couldn’t help but frown.  His friend sat with his head bowed, hands gripped together tightly as he rested his arms on his legs.

Makoto reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind Rin’s ear.  “I know, Rin.  It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay!  I treated you like shit and I didn’t mean any of it!  Why aren’t you mad at me?”  Rin’s voice shook and he finally looked over at Makoto, eyes shining with unshed tears.

Smiling a bit, Makoto simply shrugged.  “Because I knew something had happened to you, Rin.  I just… kept hoping that you would find your way back to me.”  His words only seemed to make Rin cry harder and he panicked a bit, reaching out to wrap his arms around the other teenager.

Rin hesitated at first, stiff in Makoto’s embrace before finally relaxing and pressing his face against Makoto’s shoulder.  Tears soaked through Makoto’s shirt but he stayed put, rubbing Rin’s back gently.

“I was just… so scared, Makoto.  Nothing went the way I thought it would go and I panicked.  I was so sure that you’d hate me for ignoring your letters, so I just pushed you away when I got back.  Fuck, I missed you so much but I was scared I wasn’t good enough for you.”  The words were muffled against Makoto’s shirt and shaky from Rin’s crying.

“Rin, it’s okay.  You’re okay.  I should have tried harder to understand you instead of letting things get to bad.  I was worried you didn’t want _me_.  You’ve always been good enough for me.”  Makoto smiled softly when he felt Rin gasp a bit, letting Rin pull away from him.

Sniffling, Rin wiped at his eyes and shook his head.  “Don’t be stupid.  You’re more than good enough, especially for someone like me.”  His cheeks were red and Makoto couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment or from crying.  “Makoto, I… if you want… we can start over?”

Makoto’s eyes widened as his brain processed what Rin had just said.  “Do… Do you want to?”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to, stupid,” Rin huffed, pouting a bit.  His cheeks were definitely red from embarrassment now.

“I’d love to, Rin.  I really missed you.”  Smiling brightly, Makoto leaned down to press a kiss to Rin’s flushed cheek, laughing softly at Rin’s protests of how embarrassing he was acting.


End file.
